Mattel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large American company that designs and manufactures toys, including well-known brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels
2. An American corporation known for producing popular toys like Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels die-cast cars
3. A toy-making business based in the United States whose products include Barbie, Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels

Etymology: Mattel is a blend of the names of its two founders, Harold Matson and Elliot Handler. Handler and Matson were partners who started the company together, and their surnames were fused into a single invented word for the brand. The result was a name that sounded like a real word rather than a pair of men's names, which suited a company selling toys. Because it is a portmanteau, the word has no meaning of its own in English, and its sense comes entirely from the company it names. That is the usual pattern for brand names built this way: the parts are recognizable, but the whole is a new coinage.